Osage County, KS

History

Organized as Weller county in 1855; name changed to Osage in 1859. Originally named for John B. Weller, of Ohio, member of Congress and Governor of that state; also Governor of California, and Senator, Minister to Mexico, etc. The name Osage comes from the Osage river, the headwaters of which stream drain almost the entire county. Lyndon is the county seat.

Map and text from History of Kansas, Noble Prentis, (Winfield: E.P. Greer. 1899)

The Santa Fe Trail ran across northern Osage County, passing through Overbrook, Scranton, and Burlingame. Originally

William G. Cutler's History of Kansas, first published in 1883, tells about early Osage County.

The Special Collections of the Ablah Library at WSU contain historical images of Quenemo, Overbrook, Scranton, Osage City, Carbondale, Olivet, and Burlingame.

The Kansas State Historical Society has historical data for Osage County online including a rich bibliography and lists of cemeteries, post offices, and newspapers.

Cities, Towns, & Villages of Osage County

                 2000
  Year  Elev  Population Name              ZIP
  ====  ====  ========== ================ =====
  1869  1100             Arvonia
  1872  1183             Barclay
  1854  1055       1,017 Burlingame       66413
  1869  1087       1,478 Carbondale       66414
        1099             Four Corners
  1865  1030       1,038 Lyndon           66451
  1868  1012         429 Melvern          66510
  1871  1070             Michigan Valley
        1073             Mineral Springs
        1150          64 Olivet
  1865  1085       3,034 Osage City       66523
  1886  1220         947 Overbrook        66524
        1069             Peterton
  1870   941         468 Quenemo          66528
        1140             Ridgeton
  1886                   Rosemont
  1872  1123         724 Scranton         66537
        1004             Swissvale
        1103             Vassar

Census Bureau Profile & Map

Special Places in Osage County

Rapp School is a beautifully preserved one-room eight grade school on highway 56 west of Osage City.
Osage county is blessed with two federal lakes

Melvern Lake Pomona Lake

and two state parks

Pomona State Park and Eisenhower State Park

Libraries

Burlingame Community Library (785) 654-3400
122 W. Santa Fe, Burlingame, KS 66413
Carbondale City Library (785) 836-7638
234 Main Street / Box 330, Carbondale, KS 66414-0330
Entre Nous Library
Melvern, KS 66510
Lyndon Carnegie Library (785) 828-4520
127 E. Sixth, Lyndon, KS 66451
Osage City Public Library new@osage.lib.ks.us
214 S. Sixth, Osage City, KS 66523
Overbrook Public Library (785) 665-7841
400 Maple Street / P. O. Box 389, Overbrook, KS 66524

Museums

Burlingame Historical Preservation Society (785) 654-3170
P.O. Box 74 / Burlingame, KS 66413
Burlingame Schuyler Museum (785) 654-3561
117 S. Dacotah, Burlingame, KS 66413
Osage County Historical Society Museum (785) 828-3477 E-mail: research@kanza.net
631 Topeka, Lyndon, KS 66451
Railroad & Mining Museum
508 Market, Osage City, KS 66523

Osage County School Systems

USD 420 Osage City (785) 528-3176 Osage City
USD 421 Lyndon (785) 828-4413 Lyndon
USD 434 Santa Fe Trail (785) 665-7168 Carbondale
USD 454 Burlingame Public Schools (785) 654-3328 Burlingame
USD 456 Marais Des Cygnes Valley (785) 549-3521 Melvern

Newspapers

Osage County Herald-Chronicle
527 Market St / Osage City, KS 66523
785 528-3511 phone, 785 528-4811 fax

More Data About Osage County

Economic Development

Kansas County Profile Reports
Statistical data from The Institute for Policy and Social Research, the University of Kansas

Health Data

KDHE's Osage County Health Profile

Genealogy

Osage County KSGenWeb

Osage County Offices

Osage County (785) 828-4812
P. O. Box 226 / Lyndon, KS 66451
District Court (785) 828-4514
Extension Service (785) 828-4438
128 West 15th Street / Lyndon, KS 66451-0400